Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Uber's Self-Driving Truck Went on a 120-Mile Beer Run To Make History (businessinsider.com)

Posted by msmash on from the self-driving-future dept.

An anonymous reader writes: In the arms race to build self-driving vehicles, Uber-owned Otto just reached a landmark milestone by completing the first-ever commercial cargo run for a self-driving truck. On October 20, the self-driving truck left Fort Collins, Colorado at 1 a.m. and drove itself 120 miles on I-25 to Colorado Springs. The driver, who has to be there to help the truck get on and off the interstate exit ramps, moved to the backseat alongside a crowd of transportation officials to watch the historic ride. 2,000 cases of Budweiser beer filled the trailer. "We're just thrilled. We do think this is the future of transportation," James Sembrot, senior director of logistics strategy at Anheuser-Busch, told Business Insider.

8 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. like in the movie? by k6mfw · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't RTFA, I guess this turn was able to outsmart Buford T. Justice.

    --
    mfwright@batnet.com
    1. Re:like in the movie? by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Funny

      2,000 crates of Budweiser? They weren't risking much it it flipped over. Nobody's going to cry over that.

      --
      No sig today...
    2. Re:like in the movie? by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, it wouldn't be the first time someone made a Black Self-Driving Trans-Am...

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    3. Re:like in the movie? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Funny

      Budweiser has a very large brewery in Fort Collins. Right off I25.

      And there is a large feedlot right next to it, where they collect the piss.

  2. To be fair, a pretty easy run by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Funny

    As anyone who has driven I-25 from Ft. Collins to Colorado Springs, it's all wide highway, and the average speed is around 4 MPH.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:To be fair, a pretty easy run by DirkDaring · · Score: 4, Funny

      He was clearly exaggerating. It's more like 7 mph.

  3. We're just thrilled! by swb · · Score: 5, Funny

    "We're just thrilled. We do think this is the future of transportation," James Sembrot, senior director of logistics strategy at Anheuser-Busch, told Business Insider.

    "I have a bonus target that kicks in when I cut our labor tab by $2 million, this will easily help me get there by eliminating a bunch of Teamster hacks and their pension contributions," Sembrot added.

    "Wait, is your recorder still running? Can we cut that last part out, I want to keep the focus on how AB-InBev is embracing new technologies, that last part is kind of off the record."

  4. Dummy Beer by niaxilin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Eventually, Otto started adding dummy trailers, eventually filling them with dummy beer to understand how the truck would react when it was fully loaded.

    So they filled the dummy trailers with Budweiser?